The Beast Inside (Unedited Version)

Chapter = 8 (part 1)

Chapter = 8

Cherryl Carter groaned and turned over when she heard the shrill sound of the clock, coming from her bedside table. She hit the snooze button to kill the irritating noise and buried her head in the pillow. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep again. After the zero sleep she got last night she was in no mood to get out of her comfortable bed. She sighed and tried to relax.

"Cherryl! Its seven thirty already. Get up!" Her sister's loud voice invaded the silence of her room. She frowned and covered her head with the pillow.

"Cherryl! You are going to college today and I am not taking no for an answer!" She heard her sister yell again from downstairs. She ignored her and fully concentrated on her mission to go back to sleep again.

"Cherryl Carter! Don't make me come up there!" She groaned at the last statement of her sister. She knew that Claire won't stop yelling till she answer her back. She still remember the last time when her sister came to wake her up, five years ago. After she ignored her first few calls, she ended up drenched in the ice cold water. Winter season was on its full bloom that time and she ended up with a flue afterwards.

She heard her sister's angry footsteps coming closer to her room and then there was fierce knocking on her door.

"I am up!" She said and threw the covers aside.

"Good for you! Be downstairs in twenty minutes, fully dressed or I'll be back and trust me if you made me come in there I'll drag you to your college by your hair!" She heard her sister's final warning as she grabbed some clothes and made her way to the washroom with her eyes still closed.

She managed to take a bath and got dressed in some blue faded jeans and a navy blue t-shirt, in the duration of just ten minutes. She fiercely brushed her tangled hair and tied it in a ponytail finally after a few failed attempts. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes were puffy and red due to lack of sleep and few  stubborn strands of hair had also managed to escape the grasp of the rubber band. She tucked them behind her ear but they fell back again. She let out an exasperated sigh. She was about pull out the rubber band when she heard her sister stomping her way upstairs. Cherryl cried out in terror and grabbed her side bag and opened the door before her sister could have knocked.

"Good, you are ready." Claire said staring at her from head to toe. Then her next question caught her off guard .

"Cherryl, do you have a boyfriend?" As soon as the words left her sister's lips she choked a bit on her own spit.

"No! Of course not!" She replied shaking her head fiercely.

" Oh! Then do you mind telling me why is there a guy named Damien Richards downstairs to take you to the college?" Claire asked her with an accusing glare. But the name 'Damien Richards' shocked her to the core. She stood there staring at her sister in horror. How did he find out where she lives?! Is he stalking her?! Her heart was beating loud and fast and the idea of locking herself in her room was more tempting than ever but instead she stood there motionless opening and closing her mouth like a fish.

"D....D..D-Damien R-R-Richards is here?" She finally managed to ask her sister.

"Well that's what he said his name was." Claire replied in a monotone.

"Why is he here?!" She asked, staring at her sister in pure terror.

" As I told you already he said he was here to take you to college." Claire said in a bored tone.

" I can't go with him! Tell him I am not here!" She said in a desperate tone.

" Cherryl I told him already that you are upstairs, getting ready." Claire said in a monotone completely oblivious to her sister's odd behaviour.